Ladder support



- Sept. 10 19-46.

' ADDER SUPPORT Filed July 1944 Patented Sept. 10, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LADDER SUPPORT Joseph D. Ramsey, Watertown, Mass.

Application July 28, 1944, Serial No. 546,980

4 Claims. 1

ladder in a fixed position by means which are actuated by a weight supported on the ladder and which increase in effectiveness as such weight increases. Another object of the invention is to provide a simple, cheap, light, easily installed and simply operated ladder support.

The nature of the invention and its objects will be more fully understood from the following description of the drawing and discussion relating.

thereto.

In the accompanying drawing: Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation illustrating a ladder in an inclinedposition with my improved ladder support attached thereto.

Fig. 2 is a view in front elevation further illustrating the ladder support in an operating position.

Fig. 3 is a cross section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a view in side elevation fragmentarily' illustrating a ladder and a modification of ladder support attached thereto;

Fig. 5 is a detail cross sectional view illustrating another modification of the invention; and

Fig. 6 is a view in side elevation illustrating a modification.

The invention generally includes a laddersupport made up of a suspension block and a gripper member pivotally secured at the sides of the suspension block. The suspension block constitutes a pair of forwardly extending legs of the support and the gripper member constitutes a pair of rearwardly extending legs. The suspension block is formed with a pair of spaced-apart lug portions through which extends a pin adapted to support an end of a ladder in suspension between the front and rear legs. The suspension block and gripper member are further formed with upwardly extending uprights and arms respectively, which are adapted to be brought into contact with one another at a point immediately above the point of suspension of the ladder end between the legs. There is thus developed a leverage by which increased pressure is transmitted through the gripper member to a supporting surface for the ladder at a point rearwardly thereof.

Considering the ladder support more in detail, numeral l denotes a suspension member and numeral 2 indicates a gripper member pivotally attached at both sides of the suspension member I by means of a pin 3. The suspension member I preferably consists of a hollow block formed with lug portions 4, through which passes a pin 5. The lugs 4 and pin 5 are adapted to .pivotally support an end of a ladder 6 in suspension between the forward and rearward leg portions of the support, constituted by the suspension member and gripper member respectively, with the point of suspension of the ladder end preferably being located between the gripper member 2 and the pivotal point of attachment of the gripper member to the suspension block, as denoted by the pin 3.

The gripper member 2 is formed with sides I which enclose the suspension block I, as may be better seen in Figs. 1 and 2. 8 denotes a pair of spaced apart, upwardly extending arms integral with the gripper member and terminating in curved ends 9, presenting concave edges Ill. The susp'ensionmember I is likewise provided with a pair of spaced apart, upwardly extending uprights ll, having extremities [2 formed with convexedges I3, adapted to engage against the concave edges H! of the ends 9, at a point directly above the point of suspension of the ladder end in the suspension block. The edges of the ends. 9 and l l are preferably arranged to contact as near their tips as possible when the legs move apart as a weight is thrown on the ladder.

The bottom surface of the suspension block I is formed with roughened edges I4 and the bottom surface of the gripper member 2 is likewise provided with roughened edges l5 which further aid in causing. the support to cling to a supporting surface.

In operation, a pair of the ladder supports are preferably utilized. The bottom ends of the ladder 6. are attached in the suspension blocks by inserting between the lug portions 4 and fastening with the pins 5 which pass through an opening in the ladder. Thereafter the ladder is ready for use and is placed in an inclined position ag i st a wall or other desirable support, and a weight is applied thereto, as for example by the operators standing on the rungs of the ladder.

The weight thus applied is transmitted through the ends of the ladder to the upwardly extending uprights of the suspension block, and thence through the ends 9 of the gripper member. The pressure thus applied on the gripper member of the roughened surface l4, appearing in Figs.

1-3 inclusive. For some applications of the lade der support, as for example in connection with supporting surfaces which are of a smooth character, such as sidewalks and the like, special types of friction means may be desired to be employed in connection with the gripper members. Various other changes may be resorted to, as for example that noted in Fig. 5, in which I have shown a set screw l8, adapted to be advanced through the base of the ladder support to aiford another type of friction means. Other arrangements of a similar nature may also be resorted to.

In Fig. 6 I have illustrated a further modification consisting of links 22, 23 and 24 which may arms spaced apart and formed with curved. bearing surfaces which lie in contact with the upper ends of the curved edges of the block uprights, said block uprights and gripper arms adapted to provide a. leverage for increasing vertical pressure of the gripper member against a supporting surface.

2. As an article of manufacture a ladder support for maintaining a ladder in an inclined position, said support comprising a suspension element and a gripper member pivotally attached to the suspension element, said suspension element presenting forwardly extending legs of the ladder support, said gripper member presenting rearwardly extending legs of the support, means in the suspension element for pivotally securing I an end of the ladder in suspended relation bebe used in place of the members 12 and 8 if desired. The links are pinned together and may be provided with adjustable means for furnishing different spacings of the supporting links from one another and from the ladder.

The principal advantages of the ladder support of the invention are its lightness, cheapness, ease of installation, and positive operation by which greater security in placing a ladder in an inclined position may be achieved. The device may be very easliy removed when so desired, and adds very little to the weight of the ladder, while interfering in no way with moving the ladder about in an upright position.

While I have shown a preferred embodiment of my invention, it should be understood that various changes and modifications maybe resorted to, in keeping with the spirit of .the invention as defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. As an article of manufacture a ladder support for maintaining a ladder in an inclined potion, said support comprising a hollow suspension block adapted to constitute forward.- legs of the said support, a gripper member pivotally at tached at either side of the block, said gripper member adapted to provide rearwardly extending legs of the ladder support, spaced-apart lug portions projecting rearwardly from the suspension block, pin means for holding an end of the said ladder in a suspended position between the lug portions, said block furtherincluding a pair of upwardly extending, spaced apart uprights, the extremities of the uprights being formed with curved edges which occur at points directly abovethe point of suspension of the ladder end, said gripper member having upwardly extending tween the forward and rearward extending legs, upwardly extending spaced apart uprights integral with the suspension element, upwardly extending arms integral with the gripper member, said arms and uprights adapted to be brought into contact with one another at a point above the point of suspension of the end of the ladder in the suspension element, thereby to exert a leverage through the gripper member to prevent displacement of the ladder rearwardly.

3. As an article of manufacture a ladder support comprising a hollow suspension block, means for pivotally securing one end of a ladder in suspension in the block, a gripper member having sides pivotally fastened to the suspension block, said gripper member being formed with uprights which terminate in curved ends, a sec ond pair of uprights extending forwardly from the suspension block and lying in contact with the curved ends at a point above the extremity of the ladder, said gripper member presenting a base adapted to extend rearwardly beyond the end of the ladder and to receive pressure transmitted through the uprights of the suspension block and gripper member respectively.

4. As an article of manufacture a device for maintaining a ladder in an inclnined position, said device comprising a hollow suspension block, means for pivotally securing one end of the said ladder in a suspended position in the block, said block further including a pair of upwardly extending arms through which an end of the ladder passes, said arms being formed with curved end portions, said block further including a base having a roughened gripping surface, a gripper member extending rearwardly of the suspension block and pivotally fastened at the outer sides thereof, said gripper member presenting a second gripping surface lying inthe same plane as the said first gripper surface, a pair of uprights having curved bearing surfaces adapted to lie in contact with the said curved ends of the arms, thereby to transmit pressure on the ladder to the second gripping surface.

JOSEPH D. RAMSEY. 

